Brendan Cope shows us his tonal finesse in this new album titled: if now we are in pieces.

BRENDAN COPE

If Now We Are In Pieces

Portland, OR, United States

Credit - Brendan Cope

Brendan Cope shows us his tonal finesse in this new album titled: if now we are in pieces. The album is bold and moving, giving a dark moody vibe throughout. There are highs and lows. Fast and slows. We are treated to tasty melodies backed by instrumentals that are complex and shine in the light of modern-day pop. ‘if now we are in pieces’ is bouncing with new takes on classic feelings; Brendan Cope has been generous enough to bring us all along for the ride.

The alum opens up with, ‘During This Life (intro)’ and I could not have picked a better opener for the album. It starts as many songs do nowadays, with some captured sounds from life as we open, yet instead of melding them into the beat, they become the beat. Keys rattle, footsteps fall, click clack click clack - and then more layers, more layers. Until you are completely surrounded by a soundscape that is as inescapable as it is recognisable - the sounds of every day. Presented to us anew through the filer of Brendan Cope. The vocals begin and they are crunchy and electric and carry melody with ease, bringing the song to a climax and a dutiful end.

‘During This Life (intro)’ paves the way for the rest of the album as all good openers should. With its focus on rhythmic textures and front and centre melodies, we can understand the feelings that Brendan Cope is explaining throughout the album. ‘Falling In Love’, is the next track and it’s a powerhouse. Some discordant piano pulls us in with its crunchy sounds. The beat kills the static and opens the song up to the world. The vocals, fresh. They glide over the oscillating instrumental as if they do this every day, hitting some high harmonies that will make you swoon. Brendan Cope’s sound in ‘Falling In Love’ is eternally modern and the addition of a female vocal later in the song is a great textural contrast, once again proving that the album is a work of passion.

The same vibe but slower moves us into ‘What Are The Odds’ as Brendan uses some synths in the forefront of the song to add to his industrial ballad sound. The album picks up the pace and adds experimental sounds in ‘Hum Along’. Brendan Cope is not afraid of the weirder instruments in his arsenal. He doesn’t hide them in the back but makes them the hook. If I was to highlight the wonders of ‘if now we are in pieces’ I would definitely highlight ‘Hum Along’ as the most deciding song on the album. Its pace and layers matched with the pop melodies and signings of the rest of the album just taste so right together.

Brendan doesn’t stick to the same tune for long. The album shifts from pop hitters that feel familiar like ‘During This Life’ to slower sad songs like ‘Im Going Nowhere For You’ with the flick of a wrist. The variety does not stop there, experimental soundscapes and industrial pop melodies reign supreme in songs like ‘Taurus SZN’ and classic instruments and ballad harmonies come back to the forefront in ‘I Couldn’t Even Tell You Master’. You are always going to be listing to something new with ‘if now we are in pieces’. Each song gleams like a pearl amongst its brothers, all lovingly moulded from the sand with Brendan Copes’ ear for textural complexity and pop melodies.

The album is tied together with a rhythm. Not one but many, that cascade over each other like sea foam over pebbles in a robotic future. It is the definitive blend of harsh tones and soft vocals that catch the ear in ‘if now we are in pieces’, an album that will deliver a brand new favourite track for you, no doubt about it.

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